Mealtime Insulin and Snacks

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Snacking for Safety

Sometimes, a person on insulin has to have a snack to prevent dangerously low blood sugar. It's a good idea to have two types of snacks to help manage this. The first and most important should be a source of fast-acting glucose, such as glucose tablets, hard candy, raisins, honey, juice, or full-sugar soda, to help raise your blood sugar quickly and prevent an emergency.

Once your blood sugar rises to a safe level, you may need an additional snack, especially if your next meal is more than an hour or two away. For this second snack, you'll need something with both carbs and protein, such as crackers and cheese.

Ask Questions

Although we've provided some basics for dealing with snacks, it's always best to talk with your doctor or diabetes educator about any questions you have. There are various approaches to using insulin to control blood sugar, and these approaches handle snacks in different ways. Make sure you've got a clear, realistic plan for how to handle snacking.

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